Bale-covering



(No Model.)

W. GLOVER.

BALE COVERING.

No. 417,782. Patented Dec. 24, 1889.

jfiven or:

N. PETERS. Phule-Lilhugraphcr. Waslungion. D. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILSON GLOVER, OF GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

BALE-COVERING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,782, dated December24, 1889.

- Application filed December 17,1888. Serial No. 293,810. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILSON GLovER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenville,in the county of Greenville and State of SouthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBale-Coverings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved method of covering cotton bales andsecuring the same from damage.

Heretofore in the baling of cotton for transportation it has beencustomary to cover the compressed package or bale with a coarse fabricmade of jute or similar material which is lapped and sewed with twine,the tying of the halo being effected by bands of metal or ropes.

It is well known that the ordinary method of baling cotton and securingthe same is defective in several particulars, the jute covering being ofsuch loose texture that it is liable to become torn or cut open and thecontents exposed to dirt and loss. \Vhere bales of cotton are shipped ona vessel for transportation, the rough usage they receive in handlingthem to load and unload the same frequently tears holes in the jutecovering and exposes the cotton-lint to injury and the dangerouscontingency of fire. Cotton which is baled in the usual way is liablewhen exposed to rain-storms to absorb considerable water, which it isdifficult to estimate the weight of. This absorption of water renders itimpossible to ascertain the true weight of a cotton-bale, and it is alsoa positive injury to the lint. A further waste of cotton often occursfrom the incidental cutting of the cover in removing samples of thelint, as when the coarse cover is severed it frequently happens that aconsiderable amount of the cotton-lint is drawn out and lost.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple and comparativelyinexpensive method of covering cotton-bales that are compressed in theusual manner, which will obviate the contingency of loss fromtransportation of cotton-bales by securing the bale-cover from damage orliability to be torn or out while in transit.

A further object is to furnish a water and fire proof cover to acotton-bale, that is also enveloped by a substantial net-work of metal,which will effectually protect the inner jacket or cover of thecotton-lint from injury and serve in the place and stead of bands orropes for keeping the bale compressed in shape.

A further objectois to afford a means for extracting a sample from acompressed cotton-bale readily and avoid the liability to Waste andinjury of the contained cotton-lint that usually results when samplesare taken from an ordinary bale.

A further object is to provide a durable reticulated outer cover for acotton-bale which is further protected by an inner jacket of water andfire proof material, said outer network of metalbeing adapted to haveits meeting edges joined by a metal wire, or asbestus strand or rope, soas to form a smooth exterior surface to the bale, obviating suchprojecting obstructions as are found on ordinary bale-ties, which hinderfree sliding and easy handling of the cotton-bale.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combination of parts that will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed ,out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings making a part of this specification, Figure 1is a perspective view of a cotton-bale provided with my improvedreticulated coverin Fig. 2 is a transverse section of Fig. 1.

A represents the contained lint of a bale of cotton, and B a jacket orenvelope, of any preferred material, which may be of Wood, paper,asbestus, fibrous material, or felting, which has been either saturatedwith a fire and water proof material, or coated with such a substance inliquid form, as a paint.

The envelope B should be placed in the compressing-engine in the samemanner as is the ordinary jute cover, so that it will be available tofold neatly around the pressed lint to form a compact package or bale ofproper form, and, if desired, the folded edges IOC may be joined to thefabric or material so as to aid in retaining the bale in shape.

The outer cover B is made of wire sufliciently strong to serve in theplace and stead of ordinary bale-tics, and with openings between thewires of such size as will admit a sampling-auger to be inserted throughthem to obtain samples of the cotton underneath. On each end of the balethe wires are secured and connected by weaving them together, or bylacing them with independent wires, as may be found most desirable. Ifdesired, this outer cover B may be placed in a compressing-machine alongwith an inner jacket B, in the usual manner, so that the pressedcotton-lint may be properly enveloped by the two covers at oneoperation.

When a bale has been pressed and covered, as hereinbefore stated, theedges of one or more sections of the outer cover B may be joined at themeeting edges by an incombustible strand of asbestus fiber, orpreferably by flexible wire that is threaded or strung through themeshes of the woven-wire fabric to secure the material in place on thebale.

A distinction should always be made between the wire covering B andordinary wirecloth, as thelatter is too frail and its meshes too smallfor the purpose required.

In preparing the meeting edges of the outer jacket for being lacedtogether I usually attach a wire cable thereto, as shown on the drawingsand marked 0. This cable forms a firm and semi-rigid selvage for theedges of the jacket and of sufficient strength to resist the forcenecessarily applied to the lacingwire.

Having described my invention, what I claim is A cotton-bale coveringconsisting, substantially, of an inner covering of fire and water proofmaterial and an outer jacket of wires, thelatter being woven orotherwise united and arranged at such distances from each other as toprovide spaces for the insertion of a sampling-auger, and of suchstrength as to serve in the place andstead of ties, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILSON GLOVER.

\Vitnesses:

PAUL WORKMAN, R. H. PEAOOOK.

